Crust rolling apparatus



Sept. 16; 1952 1 J. HARlss ETAL 2,61 0,589 cusT ROLLING APPARATUS l vFiled'liel. s; 1947- e sheets-sheet i will@ fl A :Y

s ePt- 16, l952 L. J. HARRlss Erm. 2,610,589

- CRUST ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. s, 1947 es sheets-sheet 2 figg Sept. 15, 1952 l.. J. HARRlss `rs1-,M 2,610,589

CRUST ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8,. 1947 e sheets-sheet 5 L. J. HARRISS ET AL CRUST ROLLING APPARATUS Sept. 16, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 8, 1947 .JOSE

L. J. HARRlss ET AL.

cRUsT ROLLING APPARATUS Sept. 16, 1952 Filed Feb. 8, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 V- an whereby the' rollers will receive a dough mass in` Patented Sept. 16, 1952 voRUs'r ROLLING APPARATUS Lloyd J. Harriss', Kenilworth, and Bernard Lambers, Oak Park, Ill.; said Lambers assignor t said Harriss v Application February s, 1947, serial No. 727,376

This invention relates in general to an apparatus for supplying a dough sheet component to a pastry product and is particularly vconcerned with the forming and depositing of a crust to a pie. While the apparatus herein disclosed is particularly concerned with the supplying of a bottom crust to a pie receptacle, it'is also applicable for the forming and placing of a top crust to such a 'pastry' product. n

TheY principalobject of the invention is to provide .a new and improved type of machine or apparatus for automatically forming and applying Aa pastry dough sheet, such as a pie crust, to a pastry receptacle.

f Another object is to provide an apparatus for. automatically forming and applying a pastry dough sheet, such as a pie crust, to a pastry or 'a receptacle therefor, particularly while the latter is being carried by a conveyor system.

A further object is to provide a machine orv apparatus wherein reciprocating rollers are used to roll and apply a pastry dough sheet, such as a pie crust, to a pastry or a receptacle therefor and particularly While the latter is being carried by a conveyor system.

Still another Objectis to provide an apparatus ratus wherein reciprocating rollers areV providedl with drive means operating in timed relation with intermittently moving ,conveyor system,

11V Claims. (Cl. 107-12) I 2 Fig.v 4 is an enlarged plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view partly in sectiontaken substantially along the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. v6 is a side elevational viewwith certain parts broken away and shown in section to illustrate details; Fig. .7 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a'modified form of the device;

Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view thereof. Briefly described, the apparatus of the present invention utilizes a movable or reciprocating frame which is open at the bottom thereof and which carries a pair of rollers mounted for rota-f tion during reciprocation of the frame. An-open stationary frame is provided on which the reciproeating frame moves and is provided with means adapted to cooperate with the rollers so thatA they may be rotated particularly when the movable.

VVare sopositioned relative to each other that the one position thereof and will roll the mass intoV sheet form' as they are being moved to the other extreme position, which dough sheet will be a1- lowed to'drop downwardly onto a receptacle carried by the conveyor system and which has come to rest below the rollers.

Other objects and advantages of the` invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe apparatus shown ine dough sheetcomponent of thepastry product'v v and may comprise spaced upwardly extending side members 4 and 6 to which theanglebars 8 and IVG may be secured. Suitable chains or link belts I2 and I4 vmay be adapted to be moved along the horizontally extending legs of the angles 8 and l il. A main drive shaft I6 may be connected to the conveyor and to any suitable drive means, not shown, for the purpose of intermittently moving the chains or ,link belts I2 and i4. Spaced horizontal supports I8 extend between andare secured to the belts I2 and I4 and are adapted to support the upwardly extending supporting members 20 which lare so constructed as tocar'ry a plurality 0f spacedpastry receptacles suchy as .thepiepansza 3 rihe apparatus of the present invention may be applied at any suitable point along the length of the conveyor and may be utilized in combination with other machines which perform different steps in the manufacture of the completed pastry product. Thus, after the present machine supplies the bottom crust to a pie, other machines may be located along the conveyor for performing such operations as supplying the pie filling,

moistening the crust and applying the top crust and to be reciprocated thereon may comprise the spaced side frame members 32 and 34 which are adapted to `rotatably support the tworollers 36 and 38. The roller 36 is mounted on a shaft 45 which .is suitably journaledin the side membersV by means of roller bearings, and the roller is likewise mounted on the shaft 42 also suitably journaled in roller bearings between the sides of the movable frame. The shaft `110 is preferably provided at one end thereof with a gear 44 which is adapted to be inmesh with a similar gear t5 mounted on the end of the shaft "52 4carrying the roller 3B. A rack 68 extends along the supporting member 3G of the stationary frame and is adapted to have the gear .55 in mesh `therewitlfl so that asthe movable Yframe yreciprooates throughout the length of the stationary frame, the gear 46 in mesh with the rack 4.8 will be caused to rotate and will in tum also rotate the gear it on the Vshalt 4e which Ycarries the roller 3E. rThus it will be evident that reciprocation of the mov-V able frame will cause a rotation of the two rollers y to receive any suitable supporting means such asv 52V (see Fig. v5) so that the-movable frame `may be adequately supported,l and balanced at both sides.

4 ported and driven to reciprocate the movable frame.

A bracket 68 is located below the stationary frame, isl secured at its outer end to the stationary frarne and has its inner end resting upon or secured to a suitable angle member 79 fastened to the-supporting ymember 26. The" bracket 6B is utilized as a support and journaling means for the shafts on which the two sprockets 64 and 65 are mounted. The sprocket G4 is keyed or otherwise secured to the vertical shaft 72 which extends downwardly and is provided at itsV lower end with a bevel vgear 'M (see Fig. 5). A second bevel gear l'freely mounted on the main drive shaft I6 is adapted to be in mesh with the bevel gear 'i4 `and a suitable clutching mechanism may be provided for the purpose of connecting the two gears fifi and 15 for operating the machine.

This clutching mechanism may assume any one of a number of speciiic forms, the one disclosed, herein being merely for illustrative purposes. A toothed member '18` may be mounted on the main drive shaft 116 for sliding movement thereon, which member may have an' annular.` groove adapted to receive the collar 85 which has the pin 8,2 extending outwardly therefrom. This pin 82-is adapted ltovbe received within a hole in the collar B4 which is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft FE and is `thus continually rotated. r-'he member YS may be moved lengthwise of the --shaft lo to permit therpin 82 to engage .an opening actin the bevel gear 1G, where. upon the rotation of the collar 84 lwill be imparted to the lgear 'l and thevgear T4, which in It will be evidentthat the reciprocating frame maybe moved by hand 'if so desired, and the dough mass may be .fed 'to the rollers also by hand and theoperation thereof may beeffected v L irl-,this way.- vltie:invention, however, also contemplates the utilization of automatic means for reciprocating themovable frame and, while such means may assume any number of desired specic forms, the one which is preferred' and which has proven most practical in actualpractice, includes an endless chainl or link belt suitably connected to the movable frame to vreciprocate the frame as the belt isA driven. To accomplish this, reference will be made to Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that vthel movable or reciprocating frame is provided at one end thereof withspace'd members 54 and 55 extending between the sides of theV frame to thereby provide an elongated slot 52.

turn will rotate the shaft "l2, the sprocket 64 and the chain 62.

Any suitable means may be provided to engage and diseneage the clutching mechanismsuch,V for example, as the lever arm 88 pivotally mounted on .the pinS and which may have at its lower endv .a circular portion provided with teeth YQ2 adapted 4tobe in mesh with the teeth on the member 78. Thus it will be evident that,.viewing Fig.

Y 5, a rotation of the lever arm 88 in a counterclockwise direction will move the v.Clutchingmeclfianism toward the right to engage the clutch and drivingly connect the gear 76 with the main driveA shaft l5.

The main drive shaft being driven kcontinuously, will therefore drive .the sprocket 6A when the clutch is engaged to rotate the chain EZand reciprocate the movable frame Vthrough the pin and slot arrangement 6G and 58. Thefsprocket 66 is mounted on the vertically extending .shaft 94 which is also .suitably journaled in the bracket E8 and supports the other end of the chain .62.

, During operation of the machine, the movable frame carrying the rollers 35 and 38A will reciprocate between the two extreme positions, rone of which maybe called the dough receiving position and the other the sheet dispensing position.

When the rollers reach the dough receiving position, a mass of dough may be fed theretoeither manually/ or by any suitable automatic means operating in timed relation with the reciprocating movement of the rollers. A preferred form ofv automatic feeding mechanism' for vsupplying the conveyor carrying the pastry receptacles.

and at'wits other endto suitable. stationary part of the machine so "as to normally maintain the armin a position opposite to that'xshownin Figr'li. z

ilhuawhen the rollers `36 and 38have received a dough mass in their position illustrated. in Fig.:

7,-they 'will then begin their movement toward As thismovement occursprthe cross bar 185 moves with the frame` and relieves .the tensionagainst thespring v188 "which pulls .the-arm |32 in. a clockwise directionas'viewediniFig. 7.. This movement-,gef .the arm l'82 willcarry'with it thev gears Ilpand H6 thuscausing a `rotation of the arm `V12-in a counter-clockwise .direction to with-v drawgthe pusher Ybar* lM/:to its rearmost position. In this position the conveyor |94 will be free to carry the nextsucceeding dough mass into a position' infront of the pusher bar, and when the movablev carrier is moved to dough receiving po-V sition, the bar IBS will contact the roller1i84 and rotate the gears inthe opposite direction to move the 'pusher forwardly.

Itwill thus be evident that a novel form of apparatus has beenfprovidedfor forming'and dispensing a dough sheet component onto a pastry ora receptacle therefor. One of the' important features ofthe invention'is'the capability of the apparatus for dispensing a'dough sheet as it is be-4 ing rolled. That' is to say, the sheet is not rolled inijitsen'tirety and then transferred to theireceptacle, but rather, the location 'and 'moi/ability ofA the rollers is such that'v the sheet' will be dispensed during therolling 'operation so that when the rolling vofthe sheet is completed', it will have been properly placed on the receptacle. ThisV permits the operation to be performed vin much less,v time. ff- 'j It -will be evident alsoA that other mechanismV may vbeutilized-for carrying zout thepbject's cf theinvention than thatwhich has been specical'' lydisclosed herein.` Changes' may be made in the form, construction'and arrangement of parts from "that disclosed Vherein without 'in 4any? way: departinglfrom the spirit of the .in'ventionf'or sacri'cing' any of the attendant advantages thereof, provided that the changes fall within the? scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

Having thusA described our invention whatwe claimas newv andV desire'to securel by Letters -Patent of tlie'UnitedStatesis:;v

1.,'iApparatus for supplying a dough sheet coin-f ponentfora pastry product` to -a :receptacle therefor, comprising a, pair of rollersffor-rolling the doughY intoY Va sheet, a stationary `dough re-k ceiving position and a sheet dispensing position inspaced relation, a. track extending therebetween, a' reciprocating frame Yfor rotatably sup-f.

porting said rollers, means for moving said frame and rollersalong said track to dough receiving and sheet Ydepositingl positions,y and cooperating meanson .said rollers and frame for rotatingsaid rollers as saidl frame is reciprocated, whereby the dough received thereby is rolled intov a sheet by tact with said rollers, whereby reciprocation or said frame will rotate said rollers to roll dough' 8 receivedxthereby intoa sheet and, deposit the sheet onzsaidireceptacle. i c Y 3'. A.Apparatus for supplying a dough sheet component for 'a 1 pastryy product :lato lal receptacle therefor, comprising a pair .of rollersfor rolling the doughinto fia sheet,- movable meansffor rotatably supporting .said rollers,- aframe for mov-- ably supporting saidroller supportingmeans', a

rack' on saidframe, meshing gears on said rollers, one of which vis in vmesh with.y said rack, lwhereby doughv received by said`I rollers will be rolled into a sheet upon movement of said roller supporting meanson saidframe. .n

4. Apparatus for supplying a dough sheet component zfor a pastry product 'to fa --receptacle therefor, comprisingv a pair of rollers for rolling the `dough into'a sheet, a stationary dough'receiving position and a sheet dispensing position in spaced relation, a 'track extending therebetween, means for reciprocatingrsaid rollers to doughA receiving and -sheet dispensing positions, means operablel in timed relation vwith saidreciprocating'mea-ns for supplying a mass ofV dough to said rollers when in dough receiving position,l and means for rotatingV said rollers as they 4move to sheetl dispensing' position, whereby fthe dough received thereby will bev rolled into a sheet and dispensed. K f .i

5. Apparatusfor supplying ladough sheet ccmponent for `a pastry product toA a 'receptacle' therefor, comprising'a' pair of rollers for rolling the.' dough into a sheet, alstationary dough receivin'g position and a sheet dispensingV position in spaced relation, a track extending 'therebetween, an open-bottomed reciprocable frame for rotatably supporting said rollers, and cooperat-- ing means on said rollers and frame lor rotating saidrollers during reoiprocation thereof, where-i,

by dough received by the'r'ollers will be rolled into a sheet during movement of said frame, which sheet'wll dropthrough the open bottom of Said frame onto a receptacle, located thereunder.

6. Apparatus'for supplying a dough sheet component for a pastry product to a receptacle therefor, comprising a pair of'rollers for .rolling the dough into a sheet, a stationary.doughre ceiving position. andY a sheet dispensing position in spacedlrelat'icn, a track extending therebeV tween, van open-.bottomed reciprocable frame for.

rotatably supporting said rollers,y means for rotatingsaid rollers during reciprocation `of said frame from doughreceivingto sheet dispensing they reach dough receiving position.

7. A device for supplying` a sheet component to a pastry receptacle while therlatteris'being.

carried on a conveyorV system, said device comprising a pair of rollers forforming the sheet component, means for reciprocating saidrollers between two extreme positions wherein one of said positions is directly over a pastry receptacle,v

means for rotating `said rollers fas they Yare moved toward the receptacle, a pluralityof individualv dough masses also on the conveyor system, and means operable in timed relation with the .reciprocation of said rollers to removepa dough mass from -zthexccnveyor andrdepositfsame betweensaid rollers;.wherebyfmaterial received by' said rollers willbe formed into a sheet and will' 9 be deposited on a receptacle when the rollers reach a position directly thereover.

8. A device for supplying a dough sheet component to pastry receptacle while the latter is being carried on a conveyor system, said device comprising a pair of rollers for rolling Ythe dough into sheet form, a stationary dough receiving position and a. sheet dispensing position in spaced relation, a track extending therebetween, means for reciprocating said rollers between dough receiving position and sheet dispensing position above the pastry receptacle, a plurality of individual dough masses also on said conveyor system and movable therewith, mechanism for automatically supplying a dough mass to said rollers from the conveyor when the rollers reach dough receiving position, and means for rotating said rollers as they are moved toward sheet dispensing position, whereby the dough mass will be rolled into a sheet and deposited on a receptacle when the rollers reach sheet dispensing position.

9. Apparatus for supplyinga dough sheet component for a pastry product to a receptacle therefor, comprising means for forming a mass of dough into a sheet, a stationary dough re'- ceiving position and a sheet dispensing position in spaced relation, a track extending therebetween, means for moving said sheet forming means over said track between said receiving and dispensing positionsl means to actuate'said sheet forming means as it is being moved to depositing position, whereby the sheet will be formed and deposited on the receptacle when the sheet forming means reaches depositing position.

10. Apparatus for supplying a dough sheet component for a pastry product to a receptacle therefor, comprisng means for forming a mass of dough into a sheet, a stationary dough receiving position and a sheet dispensing position in spaced relation, means for moving said sheet forming means between said receiving and dispensing poi sitions, means to actuate said sheet forming means as it is being moved to depositing position, whereby the sheet will be formed and deposited on the receptacle when the sheet forming means reaches depositing position.

`11. Apparatus for supplying a dough sheet component for a pastry product to a receptacle' therefor, comprising means for forming a mass of dough into a. sheet, a stationary dough receiving position and a sheet dispensing position in spaced relation, means for automatically supplying a dough mass to said rst-named means in dough receiving position, means for'moving said sheet forming means between said receiving and dispensing positions, means to actuate said sheet forming means as it is being moved to depositing position, whereby the sheet will be formed and deposited on the receptacle when the sheet forming means reaches depositing position.

LLOYD J. HARRISS. BERNARD LAMBERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

